The Wright Retreat

by Susan White

Sylvia Drummond Wright needs to escape. A Toronto-based, Giller-longlisted novelist who's been married thirty years, she secretly buys a dilapidated old lodge in New Brunswick and plans to move there with her grandmother and her disabled adult daughter. But her husband, Kent, takes over and, capitalizing on his wife's success, turns the lodge into a business venture ― a writing retreat.

Sylvia is determined not to have anything to do with the Wright Retreat, but as an eclectic group of people converges in the renovated lodge by the water, compelling stories and beautiful friendships emerge, and Sylvia finds herself drawn in. There's Janice, a residential school survivor. Irma, whose husband has dragged her here, and who carries an unbelievable grief. Veronica and Dot, who each carry terrible secrets connected to this very lodge, which used to be a Catholic girls' home and was the site of unbelievable cruelty. By the time the retreat is over, not a single person is unchanged ― least of all Sylvia. Even the lodge itself has been transformed from a place of terror to one of healing.

The Wright Retreat is an irresistible celebration of story, friendship, and the astonishing power of connection.

Genres: Canada

408 pages, Paperback

Published November 24, 2021

About the author

Librarian Note: There are more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Kelly Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really loved this book, my favourite I think of this author’s books. Her writing has improved over the years, turning from a focus on a middle school audience to an adult readership, much like the characters in this book reached new levels in their own writing. There are a lot of characters in this book – a LOT – so it helped to keep a list early on, one that I referred to often until I really got to know the characters. Each one comes to the Wright Retreat with a different agenda, most with some pretty horrendous baggage in their past that has affected their entire adult lives in one way or another. With the support and friendship that they find on the shores of the Northumberland Strait they are able to face their past and shed those demons (and a few husbands along the way, lol) with almost all of them coming out stronger individuals and much better writers as a result. Even the retreat itself is held accountable for past sins. Some very weighty topics are covered, including some abhorrent history, all handled with the compassion and acknowledgement that they deserve. 5 star read for me.

[Sue Slade · Rating 4 out of 5]

Looking for an escape Sylvia Drummond Wright, a Giller-longlisted author secretly buys an old rundown lodge just outside Moncton, New Brunswick to renovate and move into with her grandmother and adult daughter, who as a result of a skiing accident was brain injured. But her husband, with his obsessive need for control, takes over and turns it into a writing retreat with promises of Sylvia mentoring the attendees. As Sylvia’s protests fall on deaf ears, we are introduced to a diverse and troubled group of writers who have signed up for the 10-day, 2-week, or 1-month-long writing retreat, each of whom has a unique back story, and reason for attending the retreat. We are also introduced to Dot, the cook, and we find out that at one time the lodge was a home for unwed mothers, run by nuns and the site of terrible cruelty. During their stay, life-long friendships and bonds are formed, and the lodge slowly becomes a place of healing and redemption, and a place, given the opportunity, any writer would love to attend.

[Cardmaker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sylvia Drummond Wright needs to escape. A Toronto-based, Giller-longlisted novelist who's been married thirty years, she secretly buys a dilapidated old lodge in New Brunswick and plans to move there with her grandmother and her disabled adult daughter.

But her husband, Kent, takes over and, capitalizing on his wife's success, turns the lodge into a business venture — a writing retreat.

Sylvia is determined not to have anything to do with the Wright Retreat, but as an eclectic group of people converges in the renovated lodge by the water, compelling stories and beautiful friendships emerge, and Sylvia finds herself drawn in. There's Janice, a residential school survivor. Irma, whose husband has dragged her here, and who carries an unbelievable grief. Veronica and Dot, who each carry terrible secrets connected to this very lodge, which used to be a Catholic girls' home and was the site of unbelievable cruelty. By the time the retreat is over, not a single person is unchanged — least of all Sylvia. Even the lodge itself has been transformed from a place of terror to one of healing.

I bought this book mainly because it was set in New Brunswick which is where I live. I liked it but didn't love it. It has some editing problems but not as many as other books I've read. There are a lot of characters in the story and I found I had a bit of trouble keeping them sorted out. I also kept mixing up the main character Sylvia with her daughter Olivia just because of the similarity of their names.

It has many people who have deep dark secrets so it isn't exactly a light read. There aren't any horrible descriptions in it but it does have some bad memories from several (most) characters. All in all, I enjoyed the story. Maybe a bit of a simplistic view of things by the author but worth your time to read it.

[ATLANTIC BOOK REVIEWS · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE WRIGHT RETREAT by Susan Ruth White. Published by The Acorn Press. The first thing to grab my attention here, after the title, was the great cover art by Kenny Vail.
A writing retreat set in a lodge with a horrible history in a New Brunswick backwoods that manages to provide solace, redemption and comfort through a cast of troubled characters. Sign me up!
Such an enjoyable weekend reading and meeting the writers, established and emerging, who are the inaugural visitors to the Wright Retreat.
Susan White has fleshed out the private lives, thoughts and audacious dreams of writers and makes us care about a bunch of people we just met and who, after learning their individual stories, we really want to meet.
If you love a character driven story. If you love a story about redemption and forgiveness. If you love a story about love and place that will pull on your heart strings. I would encourage you to spend time at THE WRIGHT RETREAT.
I definitely enjoyed my chilly, rainy weekend there.

[Sandra Bunting · Rating 4 out of 5]

Susan Wright, when I bought her book, wrote "To Healing and Recovery". I was confused because I thought it was a novel about a writers retreat. I understand now, and have shed a few tears. Compelling characters and stories.